All Hallows Eve
by BSCullen
Summary: The Dark Lord is merciless. He destroyed the Potters, without a second thought, he didn't expect one to survive. This is a One-Shot from Hagrid's POV of the night he rescued Harry from the ruined house at Godric's Hallow. Please R/R! Thank you, and enjoy.


Disclaimer: All characters, here within, have been lovingly borrowed from the creative genius of author JK Rowling.

**All Hallows Eve**

The scene was gruesome. Thick black smoke filled the air and dusted the ground before him with soot. He stood still, hands placed on the large motorbike Sirius had just left him with. Kicking the kickstand into place he lent the bike to a resting position.

Hidden from the Muggle eye, the house now sat completely in ruin. It was hard to believe that such devastation could go unnoticed, that all those within the square of Godric's Hollow slept unbeknownst to the carnage that had occurred tonight.

Slowly, Hagrid walked towards the front gate. He staggered for support as he found himself frozen. Glass, from shattered windows shone in the moonlight, shimmering like a thousand tiny stars strewn carelessly about the lawn. Half of the second floor was gone, blown to bits from the weight of the curse. Bits of scorched ceiling and smoke were all that was left.

A rough chilling breeze drew Hagrid from his daze. Suddenly he stepped forward with a stronger resolve. He had a mission, a task to be done. Pulling his moleskin overcoat tight around his bulging arms, he buttoned the remaining buttons hurriedly. Grasping the handle on the gate, he punched the lever lift with his thumb. The gate swung back from his hand with a creak. The squelch of metal against the hanging, stagnant air caused him to wince.

Gathering strength from within, Hagrid stepped through the threshold. Turning to where he had stood moments before, he slowly closed the gate. With a _snap_, the gate locked into its place. The sharp sound shuddered through the night air. And then, as suddenly as it came it was gone, another sound replacing it. Softly, at first, like that of a wounded creature, a whimper came from within the wreckage.

Now blaring, like a siren, came the cries. Hagrid rushed toward the house peering into what was left of the second floor. Twice the size of one adult male, Hagrid's eyes were just level with where the second floor windows ought to have been. He couldn't see anything. It seemed that, in the explosion, the floor had fallen out and what could be seen of the second floor were only just walls.

Circling the house, following the cries, Hagrid rounded on a large hole where the back sliding door once stood. Poking his head into the house, all he saw was black. Taking a step back, Hagrid reached in to one of his jackets many pockets. Out he pulled a pink umbrella, too small for his size. Quietly, as if speaking to the umbrella, he whispered, "_Lumos_!"

A bright light shone out from the tip of the umbrella. "Harry? Harry, if yeh can 'ear me..." Hagrid crouched slowly through the door opening, careful not to budge up against anything, in case it should all come crashing in around him. The cries had stopped suddenly. "Harry? Harry? Are yeh in 'ere? If yeh are, cry again or...or something, anything...Harry?"

Hagrid stood waiting, hoping against hope, for a sound. Any sound to suggest that Harry was all right, that all hope was not lost, that he would survive. Anything to tell him that something from this night, other than the Dark Lord's disappearance, would be worth celebrating.

Across the room came a muffled gurgle. Like a low soft spitting noise. As Hagrid neared closer toward the source of the sound, he focused his attention. It sounded, as if someone were blowing raspberries. Chuckling to himself, Hagrid spoke, "Harry, is that you?" Crouching beneath a fallen support beam Hagrid found himself looking at a turned over sofa. Carefully he dropped to his knees and peered under the sofas edge. There, lying on a cushioned pillow was Harry, blowing raspberries with his tongue.

"Harry!" beamed Hagrid as he reached towards the gurgling baby. He gently pulled Harry out from beneath the sofa and looked him over thoroughly. Satisfied that Harry was none the worse for ware, he lifted the baby to eye level. "All right there, Harry?" Harry giggled and stretched a stubby arm to tap Hagrid's bulbous button nose.

"Hey there!" Hagrid's black eyes glinted in the glow of the umbrella light. Although, his face was covered in bushy black hair you could tell he was smiling from his eyes. Harry let out a high squeal of laughter and grabbed a tuft of Hagrid's black beard. With a swift yank Harry tugged at the tangled mess of bristly hair. "Aargh!" chortled Hagrid. "Got yeh a strong grip there don' yeh, Harry?" Getting to his feet, he cupped Harry in the crook of his elbow and sidled back out the way he came.

The sun was beginning to rise, peeping out from behind the clouds that had seemed to plague the countryside for quite sometime. It was much warmer, Hagrid noticed. It had gotten colder and colder, as the Dark Lord gained his power and stretched his influence across England. Maybe _he_ was gone. Maybe all the dark stuff of the past was finally going to stop. Maybe life, for a change, would be peaceful. As he dared let the thought cross into his mind, he snuck a peek at the tiny bundle in his arms. Harry seemed to be snoozing comfortably in Hagrid's large grasp.

How had it happened? How had Harry survived? Lifting Harry for a closer look, he noticed something he hadn't before. It was a thin cut. Showing, just barely, from beneath his jet-black hair. It was a small lighting-bolt shaped wound. Resting Harry on one arm, he brushed the baby's hair to the side. It wasn't a deep wound, but it was definite, and Hagrid assumed, lasting. All the same, it couldn't hurt to try. Grabbing hold of the pink umbrella, he turned it towards Harry. The light that shone from its end caused Harry to squirm in Hagrid's arm. "Ah, sorry there, Harry. _Nox_." The light went out so suddenly it took a moment before Hagrid's eye adjusted and he saw Harry holding on to the spot where the light had just gone out. Hagrid smiled, "Like that do yeh? How 'bout this then? Lemme see if there ain't summat we can do abou' that there cut o' yours?" Pointing the wand to the wound on Harry's forehead Hagrid screwed up his brow in concentration, "_Episkey_!" Nothing happened. Hagrid knew it was a long shot. Healing spells were rather advanced. "Well then, at least we tried, eh?" Harry smiled up at the giant. He didn't seem in pain at all. He was going to be just fine.

Suddenly, a light in the house next-door flicked on. Hagrid had lost track of time. He knew any moment the Muggles would swoop in on the house, now that the charms around it had disappeared. Quickly, he grasped his umbrella. Conjuring a basinet and blankets, he wrapped Harry up gently, trying not to jostle him too much. "_Lumos_." Another light from across the street flicked on. "Ah, better not then," said Hagrid gruffly. "_Nox_." Harry stretched his arms with a yawn and snuggled himself down inside his blankets. Hurriedly, Hagrid placed Harry in the basket and walked toward the motorbike in the street. Sitting astride the bike, he kicked it into life. With a roar, the bike rode down the sweeping street and into the air disappearing behind a patch of clouds.

Hagrid looked back at the fragile form behind him. He couldn't believe the luck. A baby had defeated the Dark Lord. It just didn't seem possible, it didn't seem real. So many had been lost, so much sacrificed, it was like a dream. Flying east over Bristol Hagrid again checked on his cargo.

Harry had fallen soundly asleep. Hagrid smiled to himself, all he had to do now was meet Professor Dumbledore and Harry would truly be safe.

**Please review! This is my first posted fan-fiction and I am really hoping you guys like it. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments regarding style, concept, anything. Thanks! - BSC**


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